


Dusk Till Dawn

by orphan_account



Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Drinking, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-22 01:46:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13753659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Nobody considers how Shuri is taking her Baba's death. M'Baku comes across her in a moment of weakness.





	Dusk Till Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to write something about Shuri grieving because I realized that the film is very focused on how Erik existing/T'Chaka's death/T'Chaka's crime affects T'Challa while Shuri is seen as the happy-go-lucky one. This is pretty unrealistic to me considering they're siblings and he was Shuri's Father too.
> 
> *This is an off-screen canon divergence and has minor spoilers for Black Panther. Proceed at your own risk.

It is a new day, and T’Challa is King.

Birnin Zana is celebrating in a grand fashion and though Shuri is on a mountain, above the city, she can still see the bright lights and hear the happy cries from where she sits. She only wishes she could share the same joy.

She loves her brother, she does. But she also loves her Baba. No –  _loved_ her Baba.

There had only been joy when her brother had beaten M’Baku, but now all she feels is acidic bitterness. It eats her up from the inside when she remembers the sight of her Baba’s necklace around T’Challa’s neck.

_He’s really gone._

Shuri does not cry. Not at first.

She stares at the beautiful Wakandan sunset and imagines the extravagant party that’s being held at the palace. Her brother is probably drunk on spirits and happiness, Nakia on his arm. Maybe, they all are. Perhaps even Okoye has been allowed a night off. The fantasy makes her smile and makes her own drink go down easier, the fantasy becoming more elaborate.

But then the sun sets, the orange and red melt into shades of black and blue sky, and it becomes hard to breathe. The stars are beautiful, but the sun is a companion. Alcohol is a poor substitute.

Without it she feels so alone, she begins to breathe heavily, tears leaking from her eyes.

She wraps skinny arms around her knees, folding them against her chest so she can muffle her cries into them.

There isn’t anyone around for miles, but crying below the same sky that her people are celebrating under makes her feel ashamed.

_What kind of Princess weeps at her people’s joy?_

“I did not think anyone would be here,” a voice says behind her.

Shuri’s breath catches in her throat. The last time she had heard that voice he had been yelling at her, staff pointed, calling her _child_.

She sniffles and tries to wipe her eyes on her shoulder subtly. She has less success hiding the empty bottle by her side.

“What do you want?” she asks. She hates how hoarse her words are. They give away her tears.

It’s just another sign of her weakness. Her youth, and vulnerability.

 _Both are crimes according to M’Baku_ , she thinks bitterly. _And the Jabari_.

She wants him to leave and let her wallow in her grief so of course, he stays.

“Why are you not at the palace?” he asks, after a pause. He sits on the edge of the cliff beside her, legs spread and elbow propped on one, “I’m sure there is plenty of drink for you to steal there.”

He’s still only in the pelt he wore to the challenge, dried blood crusting on his lip and broad chest. The alcohol in her blood makes it look like a deep maroon that melts into the deep brown of his skin.

The fixer in Shuri wants to wipe it away and heal him, but the girl wants him to go away.

“Why do you care?” she replies, voice hard, “About where I go or what I drink.”

“I don’t,” he snaps, but he stares at her like he isn’t sure.

“I just do not understand why the Princess is out here crying instead of celebrating when her brother has just been pronounced King.”

She stiffens. He says, Princess, the same way he calls her girl.

“My name is Shuri,” she turns towards him, uncaring if he sees her tears anymore, “Not Princess or child or _girl_!”

“Shuri,” he says quietly, or as quiet as a man like M’Baku can be. It stops her incoming tirade in its tracks.

 She doesn’t think he’s ever said her name before.

She’s suddenly very aware of the lump in her chest and the tears drying on her cheeks.

“There is nothing to celebrate,” she wipes the tears from her face and sits up straighter, trying to appear less like a child in his eyes. Less weak.

“I mean, I’m obviously happy that you didn’t kill T’Challa but - ”

Her voice breaks.

“It means Baba is really gone now.”

This is what she had been afraid of the entire ceremony. Her fear of possibly losing T’Challa and her shock at the Jabari’s appearance had been good distractions, but now all that’s left is her and her thoughts.

It’s easy to put on a smile for T’Challa and her Mother.

They need her to be okay so they can occupy themselves with more important matters like who will take control of the kingdom. But here, with only M’Baku who already thinks so little of her, Shuri can’t stop herself from crying.

The sobs erupt from her small body the same way water fell from the cliffs only hours ago, loud and quaking.

“I’m sorry,” she says, struggling to breathe, “Please, just leave me be. Please…”

She never wanted anyone to see her like this, much less someone who despises her so much.

_It probably gives him some pleasure to see the Golden Princess brought to tears after failing to best T’Challa._

It’s a wicked thought that crumbles when M’Baku places a hand on her lowered head and pulls her to his chest.

Her tears slow from surprise. There’s a deep hum coming from inside his chest, and against her ear. It takes her a moment to place it and when she does, her eyes quicken again.

It’s a Jabari song, meant to soothe.

The grief she’s been holding back for weeks seems to bubble up, all rushing to the surface at once after being ignored for too long.

The song sounds like permission to feel.

So she cries and shakes, letting M’Baku pull her into his lap and hold her throughout it all, the low hum in his chest a constant the entire time.

He cups her head, holding it to his shoulder with one hand as his fingers weave through her braids. Normally, she’d kill anyone who touched her hair, but now it feels like the best feeling in the world.

“I’m sorry,” she sniffles, hopelessly embarrassed by her own lack of control. It’s the one thing she’s always prided herself on, besides her intelligence.

Now, look at her – crying all over a near-stranger. She’s still ashamed but she can’t pull away from the warm cage of M’Baku’s arms that have temporarily replaced her sun.

“Who taught you that?” M’Baku asks, the hum stopping with him. His hand on her waist seems to replace it, rubbing circles where her spine meets the curve of her hips.

"What?”

“That you need to apologize for your pain.”

She flinches, not sure herself.

“T’Challa and my Mother…they already have so much to worry about,” she says plainly, “I did not wish to add to the list.”

M’Baku scoffs which makes her look up at him tersely.

Is this the moment he will turn on her and laugh?

“I do not know your brother’s heart, but I can assure you he would be more upset that you came out here to weep and drink alone.”

Shuri pulls herself from his lap, standing on wobbly colt legs.

“You’re right, you do not know my brother’s heart. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t give me any advice on how to handle it.”

M’Baku stands, holding her steady with a firm hand on her waist.

She thinks he’s going to yell at her and that will be the end of it, but he’s subdued, as if the night sky has quelled his incessant need to argue with her.

“Let me take you back to the palace.”

She gives him an odd look, stepping back, but he follows, eyeing the edge of the cliff as if she’s going to throw herself off of it.

_Is that how it is now? I cry once and suddenly I’m a little lamb?_

“I can take care of myself,” she says sharply, “I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.”

She can take hatred and anger but never pity.

“I know you can take care of yourself,” he says. He sounds irritated now.

“But you are drunk and the city is overrun with people mad with drink. I will not let you leave alone.”

He makes sense but Shuri can feel her hackles rising, urging her to collect whatever remnants of her pride are left after letting M’Baku comfort her.

“Fine,” she says but as soon as she tries to take a step, the world sways.

M’Baku catches her before she can fall and her breath catches for the second time that night. It’s odd that he’s the first person she’s cried in front of in years and this is the first time she has looked into his eyes.

 _It is the drink_ , she reminds herself.

He chuffs, exasperated with her.

“Here,” he says, and then he falls to his knees in front of her, broad back exposed, “Get on.”

She has no pride left at this point, so she does, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

“Onward!” she yells in his ear.

If she’s going to let him carry her like a stray monkey, then she’s going to at least have fun doing it.

“I do not know what that word means,” he replies, but he sounds amused.

Shuri giggles in response, her head lolling against his neck as she lets her body go lax.

She falls asleep, somewhere between the mountain and the palace. There is music, the smell of sweet meat from the street vendors, and smoke from the fireworks.

Voices ring around her. One familiar, another less so but still desired. She doesn't want to let go of the arms holding her, but she’s pulled away anyways and wrapped in blankets that smell like home. Like her Baba and Mother.

She wakes to sunlight pouring into her room, warming her. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment or kudos! It's a small fandom out here.
> 
> Note for other fics: The Bloody Waters update may be a day or two late cause I wrote this and I'm working on a Shuri and M'Baku go to Coachella fic lol.


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